Energy & Environment Management Multiple Choice Questions on “Decomposers”.
1. From where does the decomposer receive energy?
a) Producers
b) Consumers
c) Self generation
d) Organic substrates
Answer: a
Clarification: Decomposers receive energy by using organic substrates to get their energy, nutrients for development and growth. Decomposers are organisms that break down dead and decaying organisms. Similar to herbivores and predators, decomposers are also heterotrophic.
2. How many major groups classified in decomposers?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
Answer: b
Clarification: Decomposers can be classified into two group namely, fungi and detritivores. Fungi break down deceased organism. While detritivores are responsible for consuming large particles off the deceased organism.
3. Which are known as most recognized players in the food chain and energy puramid?
a) Producers
b) Consumers
c) Decomposers
d) Detritivores
Answer: c
Clarification: Decomposers are the most recognized players in the food chain and energy pyramid. They are the only players that have direct access to the energy which is stored in plants that comes from direct sunlight. It help in decay and in the conversion of remains of plants animals to carbon dioxide and energy.
4. What is called for an organism which breakdown dead or waste matter into simpler substances?
a) Decomposers
b) Producers
c) Insects
d) Consumers
Answer: a
Clarification: Decomposers breakdown dead plant and animals. Decomposers are very important for any ecosystem. If decomposers doesn’t exist then the plants would not get essential nutrients and even dead and waste matter would pile up.
5. The primary decomposers of most dead plant material are____________________
a) Algae
b) Bacteria
c) Fungi
d) Insects
Answer: c
Clarification: Fungi play a major role as decomposers and recycles in the wide variety of habitants in which they exist. They release nitrogen and phosphorous from decaying matter. In fungi we can see digestion precedes ingestion.
6. Decomposers and detritivores are same.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: Though both feeds on the same diet and both are heterotrophic they both are not same. Decomposer is a general term while detritivores are the classification of decomposers. Decomposers break down the dead organisms through decomposition, while detritivores consume the decaying organisms.
7. In polypore which species caused poisoning in several plants?
a) Ganoderma lucidum coll
b) Trametes versicolor
c) Hapslopilus nidulans
d) Piptoporous betulinus
Answer: c
Clarification: Polypores from the Hapslopilus nidulans species caused poisoning in severe people which effects kidney dysfunction and also caused problems to central nervous system functions. Hapalopilus nidulans belongs to the family of ‘Polyporaceae’.
8. What is the mode of nutrition in fungi?
a) Saprophytic
b) Heterotrophic
c) Autotrophic
d) Mixotrophic
Answer: a
Clarification: Saprophytic feeds non living organic matter by secreting digestive enzymes and absorbing the products. The mode of nutrition seen in fungi is of saprophytic. Saprophytic type of nutrition means break down dead organic matter into compost and manure by the action of enzymes.
9. To which category shelf fungi classified?
a) Producers
b) Consumers
c) Decomposers
d) Insects
Answer: c
Clarification: Shelf fungi also called as bracket fungi that forms shelf like sporophores. They grow on trees in a stack. They attack and digest the trunk and branches of a tree. Few shelf fungi can parasitize living trees causing eventual death of the tree.
10. What is called for the symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant?
a) Thallus
b) Mycelium
c) Fungal mantle
d) Mycorrhizae
Answer: d
Clarification: Mycorrhizae form a network of filaments that associate with plant roots and draw nutrients from the soil. It helps increase plants nutrients uptake. In return, the plant supplies the fungi with photosynthesis products for their metabolic use.
11. What is called for a symbiotic relationship of fungus with an alga?
a) Lichens
b) Thallus
c) Mycelium
d) Funga
Answer: a
Clarification: Lichen is a symbiotic organism which is associated of fungi and algae. It is often found as white or yellow patches on old walls and thereby destroy the strength of it. Lichen is an example of mutualism.
12. Gold can be decomposed.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: According to the definition of decomposers which states that, ‘It is an organism that decomposes, or breaks down organic material’. But gold is not an organic material. Gold do not decompose in the sense that it either rots or withers away.
13. In order to form compost which of the following wastes cannot be decomposed by bacteria?
a) Plant wastes
b) Kitchen wastes
c) Plastic and polythene wastes
d) Bodies of dead animals
Answer: c
Clarification: Bacteria cannot convert plastic and polythene to compost. Composting is a way to treat solid waste so that microorganisms break down the organic material. The composting process requires organic waste such as leaves, fruits and vegetables scraps.
14. Which is the most important group of decomposer?
a) Bacteria
b) Virus
c) Insects
d) Enzyme
Answer: a
Clarification: Bacteria begin the process of decomposition shortly after the death of an organic life form, it may be plant or animal. Bacteria that live in the body usually in the digestive tract start the decomposition process in animals.